The Philippines is drowning–in floods, neglect, and debt. The rain, without fail, always reveals a cyclic scenario: students wading through rising floodwaters, evacuation centers being filled to the brim, and government officials offering the same promise of a better tomorrow. Flooding in the Philippines is no longer a seasonal inconvenience, but rather the epitome of failure in accounting, engineering, and public service.

A student-led engineering team from Mapúa University (MU) is quietly reshaping the future of sustainable mobility. Fueled with bold ambition and relentless grit, MU Cardinal One is preparing to unveil its first-ever electric vehicle (EV) prototype for the 2026 Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia Pacific and the Middle East—marking a historic leap not just for the team, but for the university and the Philippines as well.

For the past 23 years, Mapúa University (MU) has withstood the test of time, achieving one milestone after another. Behind the success of MU